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July 11, 2011

This ain't no pop-tart!

No. It's a Linzertorte. Professional cooks frequently enjoy a treat for coffee break. I love baking the staff Linzertorte, the texture and taste remind me of childhood flavors.These pastries probably have origins in Austria. But they're also made in Alsace, bordering the Rhine with Germany and Switzerland where I lived for a few months when as a kid. They also entered my life later, when I entered the food business.

One of my early jobs was working in the kitchen of The Drake Swiss Hotel. And one of the hotel's foundation recipes was for a Linzertorte. It was delicious. Since then, I've tried several recipes from different sources; a chef at the Hotel, my culinary school recipes, as well as the recipe that led to the Linzertorte below. It came from my trusted copy of "The International Confectioner."

Here's a recipe.

Linzer torte:

350 g Sugar

300g Hazelnuts or almonds, I like both but you could mix the two?

10g Agave syrup (optional)

500g butter (softened)

5g salt

5g cinnamon

5g Baking Powder

zest of one lemon

1tsp vanilla

6 eggs

1 kilo flour

Raspberry jam about 8oz-220grams in each torte

1 egg for egg wash

Makes 2 tarts, one is never enough!

Grind nuts and sugar in processor till fine. In a mixing bowl or kitchen aid, add butter, eggs, flavoring and sifted dry ingredients. Mix till your dough comes together, but don't overmix. Remove the dough from bowl and wrap it in plastic. Refrigerate till firm or overnight. You can weigh dough out to about 10 oz. or 300grams, roll out dough with a rolling pin on a well floured surface. Roll the dough into a round that will fit a fluted 8" French tart pan. Once the dough is in the pan, fill with rasberry jam. With the remaining dough divide into 12 pieces into about 12 grams and roll them into ropes. Place the first rope across the center of the torte,pinch the ends on the dough edge, save scraps to make new ropes. Make diagonal patterns, criss crossing each other till you have a cross hatched look like in the photo above. Egg wash with beaten egg, then bake in a pre-heated 350F-176 C degree oven for 35-40 minutes until you notice a golden dough and the bubbling jam coming from the cross hatched dough.

Comments

This ain't no pop-tart!

No. It's a Linzertorte. Professional cooks frequently enjoy a treat for coffee break. I love baking the staff Linzertorte, the texture and taste remind me of childhood flavors.These pastries probably have origins in Austria. But they're also made in Alsace, bordering the Rhine with Germany and Switzerland where I lived for a few months when as a kid. They also entered my life later, when I entered the food business.

One of my early jobs was working in the kitchen of The Drake Swiss Hotel. And one of the hotel's foundation recipes was for a Linzertorte. It was delicious. Since then, I've tried several recipes from different sources; a chef at the Hotel, my culinary school recipes, as well as the recipe that led to the Linzertorte below. It came from my trusted copy of "The International Confectioner."

Here's a recipe.

Linzer torte:

350 g Sugar

300g Hazelnuts or almonds, I like both but you could mix the two?

10g Agave syrup (optional)

500g butter (softened)

5g salt

5g cinnamon

5g Baking Powder

zest of one lemon

1tsp vanilla

6 eggs

1 kilo flour

Raspberry jam about 8oz-220grams in each torte

1 egg for egg wash

Makes 2 tarts, one is never enough!

Grind nuts and sugar in processor till fine. In a mixing bowl or kitchen aid, add butter, eggs, flavoring and sifted dry ingredients. Mix till your dough comes together, but don't overmix. Remove the dough from bowl and wrap it in plastic. Refrigerate till firm or overnight. You can weigh dough out to about 10 oz. or 300grams, roll out dough with a rolling pin on a well floured surface. Roll the dough into a round that will fit a fluted 8" French tart pan. Once the dough is in the pan, fill with rasberry jam. With the remaining dough divide into 12 pieces into about 12 grams and roll them into ropes. Place the first rope across the center of the torte,pinch the ends on the dough edge, save scraps to make new ropes. Make diagonal patterns, criss crossing each other till you have a cross hatched look like in the photo above. Egg wash with beaten egg, then bake in a pre-heated 350F-176 C degree oven for 35-40 minutes until you notice a golden dough and the bubbling jam coming from the cross hatched dough.